Illuminated fountain pen



J J DEVINE ILLUMINATED FOUNTAIN PEN Filed May l0, 1946 mm, mn wm wm vw mi... If k v //M\I:N Il

l T. H v M V r M V e ,w 40, m D 4.x M 2 mWWIIMHIIIIMHMM J n M dPatented` Oct. 11, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATED FOUNTAINPEN John J. Devine, Middletown, Conn.

Application May 10, 1946, Serial No. 668,859

' 1 Claim.

This invention relates to fountain pens and is more particularlydirected to a means for providing illumination during writing.

An object of the invention is the provision of an illuminated fountainpen in which a circuit to a lamp carried by the pen is closed when abattery mounted in one end of the barrel of said pen is moved rearwardlyin said barrel.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an illuminatedfountain pen in which a spring forming one element of the switch is incontact with the inner electrode of a battery housed in one end of ametal barrel of the pen, a second element of said switch being adjacentthe spring and in conductive relation with a filament of a lamp adjacentthe pen point, the metal barrel being in conductive relation between theother electrode of the battery and said filament, said spring being soarranged that when the battery is moved rearwardly in said barrel, itwill move into engagement with the second mentioned elementof the switchand close the circuit to the lamp.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an illuminatedfountain pen having an electric lamp surrounding the support for the penpoint, said pen including a metal barrel housing a battery at one endand the pen structure at the other end, a curved spring forming oneelement of a switch being normally compressed by the inner electrode ofthe battery and maintained out of contact with a second switch elementwhich is connected with the filament of said lamp, the barrel being inconductive relation between the other electrode of the battery and saidlament, rearward movement of the battery permitting the curved spring tocontact both the inner electrode of the battery and the second switchelement for closing the circuit to the filament.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement andcombinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a pen constructedaccording to the principles of my invention;

(Cl. 24U-6.46)

Figure 5 .is a transverse vertical section taken Figure 2 is a side viewin elevation of an elec Figure 6 is a view in perspective of a -switchelement removed from the barrel of the pen, and

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section taken along the line 'I-l ofFigure 1.

Figure 8 is a sectional View illustrating the connection between the inksack and ink conveying tube.

Referring more particularly` to the drawings, Il) designates a metalbarrel forming a housing for the various elements of the pen structure..A cap II is threaded onto the rear end of the barrel and maintains abattery I2 in a predetermined position. The other end of said barrelcarries the pen structure.

An electric lamp I3 is circular and surrounds a cylinder It within whichthere is a hard rubber tube I4', a compressible sack I6 being secured atone end. The opposite end of the tube It' is slightly tapered permittingexpansion under insertion of a plug body of the pen I5. Ink is stored inthe sack and is fed through the tube M to the point. An opening Il inthe barrel I@ permits the insertion of an instrument for compressingsaid sack for causing refilling of the sack.

A collar I8 is located adjacent the inner end of the barrel. Notches I9on the collar receive lugs 2li projecting from the barrel. A base 2l ofthe lamp I3 has a threaded sleeve 22 screwed into the barrel and securesthe collar in place against the lugs ZB.

The lamp I3 embracing the tube It forms substantially a closure for theinner end of the barrel Ill. A filament 25 of said lamp is connected tothe battery I2 by a wire 26 (Figure 5), the threaded sleeve 22 and themetal barrel I0.

A disk 21 mounted in the collar I 8 has a central opening 28 to receiveand support the tube I fi of the pen structure. A slot 29 permits theinsertion of a contact tongue so as to have operative engagement with acontact of the lamp I3.

A switch for controlling the circuit to the lamp I3 includes a curvedcompressible spring 30 which has one end secured to the inner Wall ofthe barrel I Il by plastic rivets 3|. A strip 32 of insulating materialis disposed between said spring end and the barrel. The free end 33 ofsaid spring is in fiat contact with the inner pole 34 of the battery I2at all times. A curved portion 35 between the ends of the spring iscompressed to the greatest degree when the cap I I is screwed fullyinward on the barrel I0.

A switch element 36 extends laterally from a bar 31 formed of conductivematerial. The bar is spaced from the inner wall of the barrel I by aninsulating strip 38 but is secured to said wall by plastic rivets 39.The bar is bent inwardly as at 40, and has a tongue 4I slightlyroughened to engage a contact 42 projecting from the inner end of thebase 2| of the lamp I3 when said lamp is screwed into positive positionat the inner end of the barrel I0.

The parts of the pen are shown in position in Figure 1, for writing butthe bulb I3 is not illuminated. When the cap II is partially unscrewedto the dotted line position the spring `3l) will move the batteryrearwardly towards the `partially unscrewed cap and will assume thedotted line position so that said spring will contact the switch element36 and close the circuit lto the lamp. It must be borne in mind that the`free end 33 of the spring will always remain in contact with the pole34 of the battery I2.

The circuit is closed through the bar 31, the contact 42, the lament 25,wire 26, sleeve 22, the barrel I0 and the kcasing of the battery whichis in contact with said barrel.

When the cap is screwed completely on the barrel the portion 35 of thespring 30 will be moved away from the contact 36 for opening the circuitto the lamp.

Although a preferred and practicable embodiment of the invention isdisclosed herein, it is to be understood that various modications may bemade within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In an illuminated fountain pen, a barrel having a threaded end, theother end mounting an electric bulb adjacent the pen point, a batterywithin the barrel, a cap engaged on the threaded end of the barrel andmaintaining the battery in a pre-determined position, a circuitincluding the battery, bulb and barrel, a spring forming a switchelement mounted in the barrel and having a laterally disposed bightprovided with a free end disposed centrally ofthe barrel for engagingand pressing upon a. centrally disposed contact of the battery, a secondswitch element 1 carried in the barrel and insulated therefrompositioned rearwardly of and in the path of movement of the bight of therst mentioned switch element, said second switch element beingelectrically connected to said bulb whereby a partial unthreading ofsaid cap permits the spring to move the battery rearwardly to engage theirst and second named switch elements.

JOHN J. DEVINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the QuagliaJan. 8, 1935

